


Speechless

by gwenwrites



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Force Bond, Force-Sensitive Finn, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 11:44:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13501072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwenwrites/pseuds/gwenwrites
Summary: The Resistance finds refuge in a corner of the galaxy rarely visited. Finn finds that some things can't be said in words.





	Speechless

Three hours pass. Three hours of silence, interspersed with short bursts of conversation and quiet whispers. Finn’s eyes move from Rose, to Rey, to Poe, and to Leia over and over again. He finds himself standing and walking out of the lounge, and wanders through the _Millennium Falcon_ with no destination in mind, only the need for movement, for change. The ship hums as it travels through hyperspace, suspicious creaking and clanking occasionally sounds through the seemingly ancient ship. For once, Finn can’t find it in him to worry about it.

He finds the rear cargo hold open, light from the hall spills into the dark. Metal containers are stacked haphazardly on top of each other. Finn sits on top of one, his form half hidden in darkness and half illuminated by the light spilling in from the hall. He breathes slowly, closes his eyes. He thinks about his friends, then all of the people on the ship. All of the people who didn’t make it with them. Thoughts spin through his head, impossible to process. He hasn’t even been able to comprehend Starkiller yet, much less Canto Bight or Crait.

He struggles to breathe, hands curled into fists, sweat beading on his neck.

“Finn, Buddy,” Poe says. Finn’s head snaps up to see the pilot standing in the open doorway. “Mind if I come in?”

He nods. Poe steps into the room, holding two cups, steam rising from them.

“Starblossom tea. Found it in a cupboard, must be a thousand years old by now. But it still tastes good.” He holds it out to him. Finn takes it slowly. The heat from the clay mug warms his hands. It’s comforting.

“Thanks,” He responds. Poe sits down next to him. They don’t speak, but it’s not uncomfortable. A few minutes pass. Finn takes a sip of the tea. It’s fruity, sweet.

“Starblossoms are from Alderaan. They were thought to be extinct for a long time, after… Well, they found some seeds a few years ago in a vault on Coruscant,” Poe explains.

“It’s good,” He responds. Finn briefly wonders if he sounds ungrateful, but Poe doesn’t think he is at all. He can feel it- Poe understands.

“Don’t think that you have to understand it all, you’ll drive yourself crazy. Try to just be here, be now. That’s enough.”

Finn doesn’t respond. He can’t find the words. Poe runs his fingers across the repaired tear on the back of Finn’s jacket.

“Looks like it’s holding up. I really could’ve repaired it better, but time wasn’t really on my side,” He continues on. Finally, he puts his hand on Finn’s shoulder, squeezes.

“You did good. You don’t need me to tell you that, but you did.”

“You did, you were,” Finn takes a moment to think. “You were Poe Dameron.”

He laughs quietly in response. “Well, I don’t know if that’s always a compliment. I think I screwed up a few times. Maybe more than a few times. But I did what I thought was right.”

“That’s all we _can_ do.”

“Yeah,” Poe sighs. “I know, buddy.”

They sit in comfortable silence after this, Finn sipping his tea, letting the warmth seep into his hands through the mug. He stops trying to analyze what he’s been through and lets it play behind his eyelids, refusing to actively watch.

“You should get some rest,” Poe says. As soon as he says it, Finn can feel a calming sensation wash over him.

“There must be a bed or a couch open in the lounge. Or I could just bring you a blanket and pillow?”

“That’d be good, yeah. Thanks, Poe.”

He smiles, stands. “Hold tight, I’ll be right back.”

Finn nods, but Poe’s already walking out of the open door. He finishes the last sip of tea and sets the cup on another box. He blinks, his eyelids growing heavier each time he does. When was the last time he slept? Does a coma count as sleeping? His eyes are closed when he hears Poe’s footsteps in the hallway. A fluffy blanket and multiple pillows are heaped in his arms.

“The floor won’t be too comfortable, I can get a couple more blankets,” Poe rambles. When Finn looks up at him, he stops.

“It’s okay. This is good.” Finn takes the bundle from his arms. “Thank you, for sitting with me.” The words don’t come out the way he wants them too, but he can see that Poe understands what he means.

“Sleep, alright? You need it,” He says warmly, “Want me to close the door?”

Finn looks up as he lays down his bedding. “Leave it open just a little?”

“Sure. Goodnight, Finn.”

“Goodnight,” He replies. Can it even be nighttime in hyperspace? Surely not. But in milliseconds, it doesn’t matter. He’s already asleep.

///

“Does it have a name?” Rey asks, staring with wide eyes.

“The, well, owners… They call it Jun.” Poe answers.

The last of the Resistance is crushed together at the helm of the _Millenium Falcon_ , watching as they approach their refuge. The planet is a marble in the distance, growing as they near. The dot of green becomes a forested landscape before their eyes. As they approach the atmosphere, smudges of mountains and the thin lines of rivers reveal themselves.

“Land in a small clearing, Poe,” Leia commands, voice steady. “Don’t leave too much open space.

“Yes, General,” He replies, wholly focused on landing the ship safely. As they glide through the atmosphere, he searches for a clearing in the dense forest below. Finally finding one in the corner on his eye, he brings the _Falcon_ to rest.

Everything is a dark, lush green. Even the tree trunks are nearly completely covered in thick moss, the sky is a blue so deep it’s unsettling. For a moment, only murmurs ripple through the crowd. Leia turns to face the Resistance members.

“A team needs to scout the surrounding area,” Leia states, “Any volunteers?”

Hands rise, including Rey’s, Finn’s, and Poe’s. They look at Leia with expectant eyes. She nods.

“Alright. Do you have weapons? We don’t know what’s out there.”

Poe pats the blaster on his side and watches Finn do the same.

“My lightsaber is in the lounge,” Rey says.

“Move out in twenty. Be vigilant, stay together.”

Poe is fascinated at how much respect she commands, even with the Resistance at its lowest point. Even after all she’s been through, what they’ve all been through, she still has a regal air to her. Perhaps royalty is always royalty, at their best and their worst.

Finn follows Rey to the lounge, presumably to check up on Rose. Leia turns to look at Poe directly as the Resistance members disperse.

“Be careful out there. We can’t risk any more mistakes.” Her tone is serious, but he can see a hint of softness in her eyes.

“Yes, ma’am,” Poe replies.

His eyes take a moment to adjust to the light when the trio steps into the clearing. Poe turns back to look at General Organa in the entrance of the _Falcon._

“Move out,” She says. Poe has known her long enough to hear the second meaning hidden in her voice: be safe. He nods in reply.

They approach the thick forest ahead, steps careful. Poe’s hand rests on his blaster as he pulls back a tangle of vines. He looks back at Rey and Finn for a second.

“Ready?” He asks.

“Yeah,” Finn responds. Rey seems in agreement.

Poe takes a deep breath. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Only steps into the forest, it becomes as dark as night. From afar, Jun seems to be similar to D’Qar. On its surface, though, Poe sees how starkly different the two planets are. While D’Qar’s forests were thick and rich with life, the trees here are so large they seem to suffocate, leaving the underbrush desperately creeping upwards towards the light. Vines seem to grab at his ankles as he steps over them, and he struggles to see only feet in front of him.

“You two good?” He asks.

“Yeah,” Rey says, voice low.

“Finn?”

“I’m good,” He responds, “I just keep tripping on these vines…”

“Yeah, me too. We gotta focus. Keep your eyes peeled,” Poe says.

“That’s hard to do when I can’t actually see anything,” Finn counters.

“I… have no response to that. Let’s just try not to get tangled up in this mess.”

They continue their slow trudge for a few more minutes. So far, the forest has been eerily quiet, besides the rustling they create.

“Looks clear… We should circle around the clearing now, check if the other side is quiet too.”

“Alright,” Finn responds. Rey hums an agreement.

They turn and continue to trudge through the tangled vines and roots. Poe struggles to lift his foot up. When he places it back down on a patch of vines, his heart stops beating in his chest as his foot plungers through the underbrush.

“Poe!” Finn calls, roughly grabbing his arm and pulling him back. Poe stumbles but manages not to fall. The vines in front of him have fallen away, revealing a deep chasm in the earth.

“That could’ve been bad,” Poe breathes out. It’s a huge understatement. He stumbles forward to lean against a tree trunk as he catches his breath. “Thanks, buddy.”

Finn seems bewildered, although Poe is too dazed himself to consider why.

“Are you alright?” Rey asks.

“Yeah. Could’ve been bad, though. Don’t want to break an ankle in times like these.” Poe stands straight once again, brushing off his now mossy hands on his pants.

“It would’ve done more than break an ankle,” Finn replies. Poe steps closer to the chasm, peering inside. Due to the lack light it is impossible to tell how far it tunnels down, but he can guess it’s at least five or six feet deep.

He steps back once again, even more appreciative of Finn. “Well, maybe we should stick close to the tree roots to avoid another random hole in the ground.”

They continue their struggle through the forest, even more cautious after Poe’s near-death experience. They all breathe a sigh of relief when they break through the trees and find themselves on the other side of the clearing.

When Poe turns around to face Finn and Rey, Finn is attempting to hide a smile. Rey lets out a huff of a laugh.

“Are you laughing at me?”

“No,” Finn replies. Seconds later, he bursts into laughter.

“What is it?” Poe asks, turning around to see if there was something hilarious behind him. There is nothing besides lush grass and trees beyond that. When he turns back towards them, he notices that they’re looking… at his hair? When he reaches up to his head, a clump of leaves falls out of his hair. Running his hands through his hair again, he finds leaves and twigs tangled in his beautiful curls.

With a sound of frustration, he shook his head. More leaves fluttered away from him, but many more held still. While Rey only had to brush a few leaves from her hair, Finn was left with only a single leaf in his.

“Look who’s talking,” He says, approaching Finn to take the leaf out.

“It’s only one. You look like you’ve got a bush growing in there,” He replies, still out of breath from laughing.

And of course, that's when the boarding ramp began to be lowered. General Organa begins to chuckle the moment she sees him.

///

Hours pass, night falls on Jun. The last of the Resistance eats the food they’ve scrounged from the _Millennium Falcon_ : nutrition bars, crackers, and canned soups. Nobody knows how long they’ve been there, but none of them taste rotten, and that’s enough for the hungry troops. People gather in the lounge and the halls, talking as they eat, the mood uneasy. Finn eats sitting on the floor besides Rose’s bed, glancing up at her between bites. Every time he does, he expects her to be awake. Every time, he’s disappointed.

“Finn! I knew you’d be here,” Poe says. Once again, he’s holding two mugs.

“Tea?” He asks. Even in their circumstances, Poe manages a bright smile.

“Thanks,” Finn replies. He can tell it’s the starblossom tea from before because of its nectar-like scent and takes a sip.

“You know, I’d offer you another kind, but I’m pretty sure this is the only tea Han Solo ever stocked.”

“It’s good,” Finn says, “Soft.”

Poe sits down beside him and takes a gulp from his own cup. “I’ve deduced that this tea is probably from before Alderaan was obliterated.”

Finn tilts his head. “Why?”

“The ‘use by’ date is from over sixty years ago.”

This manages to make Finn smile. They sit without speaking for a moment, both drinking their tea, Finn glancing up at Rose.

Finn suddenly focuses his attention back on Poe. “Something weird happened, in the forest.”

“What?”

“Before you almost fell. It was so dark that I couldn’t see you. But I could…” He pauses.

“Buddy?”

“I could feel it. I could feel that you were going to fall,” Finn says, “It doesn’t make sense.”

Poe takes a second to process what Finn said. “I’m not an expert, but I think I know what that might be.”

“You do?”

Poe leans in closer to whisper, “You have the force.”

Finn pulls away in shock, staring at Poe. “What do you mean?”

“Has something like this ever happened to you, before?”

///

A Memory:

Takodana. Smoke rises from the bombed structures, filling his nose. Small fires leap up and die down, sending sparks flying into the air. Han Solo, Chewbacca, fighting beside him. The Stormtroopers, his lightsaber being ripped from his hands.

Something rises in his stomach, but it’s not the acid of panic. It’s not _something_ , it’s a feeling- a vibration, beginning to fill up his chest.

“It’s the Resistance,” Han Solo says. He stumbles into action once again, grabbing up the lightsaber and the rifle of a fallen Trooper. Finn scrambles to shoot one, and then another, before they can aim at him first. His eyes are drawn to the sky, to a ship. The craft swoops and dives with grace as it takes out one TIE fighter after another.

The feeling reaches his heart, envelops it, moves inside of it. Then it’s coursing through his veins, reaching into his toes and fingers, flowing with every beat of his heart.

He lets out a whoop of pure adrenaline, pure joy. “That’s one hell of a pilot!” He cries out, the elation too strong to be kept inside.

///

“Yes,” Finn replies, “Yes, yes! Before we met on D’Qar. I knew you were alive. I didn’t- I didn’t think you were, but I knew. On Takodana, your ship… It was you.” The words come out jumbled, not explaining what he really wants to say. But a now familiar feeling tells him that Poe made perfect sense of what he said.

Poe’s eyebrows scrunched together. “It’s a Force-bond. But that doesn’t make sense.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not Force sensitive. Both beings have to be Force sensitive for one to form.” Suddenly, Poe looks around the room. It’s crowded, and he can see the quick glances Resistance members are giving them as they talk.

“Let’s go find somewhere to talk, yeah?” Poe says, standing. Finn quickly follows in suit. He takes one last look back at Rose before following Poe into the hallway. They find themselves back in the thankfully uninhabited rear cargo hold.

“How do you know if it’s a Force-bond?” Finn asks, “What even is a Force-bond?”

“It’s a mental connection between two people. If you have one, you can… feel another person’s presence, even talk to them, even if they’re far away. It’s in a lot of stories, like the ones I read when I was a kid.”

Finn raised his eyebrows. “You’re getting your information from kids books?”

“No- I mean, yes, but- it’s a real thing.” Poe replies.

“Well, have you felt it?” Finn asks.

Poe is silent for a second, contemplating. “I don’t know what it feels like,” He says, “Explain it to me.”

“It’s like waves, or… vibrations. Through your body. You can feel it moving through your blood.” Finn suddenly takes both of Poe’s hands in his, closing his eyes. He takes a deep breath, focuses.

At first, he can only feel the pilot’s hands. The pads of his fingers are calloused, his palms slightly rough to the touch. He takes in another slow breath, exhales. Finn can feel the blood as it flows in and out of his digits, to and from his arms. Farther still, his chest, his lungs breathing slowly, his heart beating quickly. He starts to feel his own blood and Poe’s, the cycles in each of their bodies. They’re in sync, pushing and pulling, pushing and pulling, like waves lapping against the shore and dragging sand along with them as they retreat, only to push it back onto land seconds later. The thrum continues to fill his chest and Poe’s, reaching up towards his neck, towards his face-

Poe suddenly pulls his hands away as if Finn’s are on fire. The shock of the break sends his stumbling a couple of steps backwards before he regains his balance, blinking his eyes open. Poe stands frozen, eyes wide, his complexion pale.

“You felt it, right?” Finn asks, but he doesn’t have to. He knows he did.

“That was…” Poe trails off. He collapses onto a metal shipping box, sitting with his head in his hands.

“Is that what you meant by a Force-bond?” Finn asks.

Poe looks up. “I have no idea.”

“We should ask General Organa. She has the Force, she’ll know,” Finn says.

“Yeah,” Poe replies, voice strained, “Give me a second.”

Finn watches as Poe puts a hand over his heart, then feels his throat, his shoulder, the back of his neck. He looks unfocused, dazed.

“Alright. Let’s go see if the General can figure this out,” He finally says, standing. They walk side by side towards the cockpit. They find Leia with a Resistance member, talking quietly. They both look up when they hear footsteps approaching.

“Finn, Poe,” The General greets them, “Did you eat?”

“Yes, General Organa. Finn and I need to… ask some questions.”

She nods, turning towards the man she was speaking to. “Might we continue to discuss this in the morning?”

“Of course, General,” He replies.

“Thank you, West,” She says, and he hurries away. Finn wonders briefly how she remembers so many names.

“What are your questions?” General Organa asks.

“It’s about the Force,” Finn says.

“Finn has it,” Poe continues.

“I think I do, at least-”

“And we have a bond-”

Leia puts a hand up, silencing both of them. “One at a time, please.”

Finn and Poe turn to look at each other. Poe nods towards him.

Finn takes in a deep breath before beginning. “We think we’re connected by the Force. I can feel it, at least since Takodana, I could tell that he was flying, and when we were in the forest I felt that he was going to fall.”

She raises her eyebrows. “A Force bond?”

“But I don’t have the Force,” Poe says.

“But you do?” Leia turns towards Finn. He doesn’t know what to do besides shrug.

“Well, this is not impossible. Just… unlikely.” She sits down in the captain’s chair. Finn notices how right it looks for her to be in it.

“A Force bond can form between someone who’s Force sensitive and someone who isn’t?” Poe asks.

“A type of one, yes. It is not as strong as those between two Force users, but it’s still very powerful. But they take years, even decades, to form.”

“We’ve only known each other for…” Finn turns towards Poe. He has no idea how long he was out. Even the time between his escape from the First Order and Starkiller base is blurry to him.

“Weeks,” Poe finishes his sentence.

General Organa looks between them. “Well, this is unexpected. But it could even be an advantage,” She says, “A bond is a very powerful thing.”

“What do we do about it?” Poe asks.

“Nothing,” Leia says, “A bond is not by choice. Perhaps the more it is used it will strengthen, but I’m not sure.”

“Can he read my thoughts?” He blurts out.

“No!” Finn responds. It’s the truth, but he can feel relief replace Poe’s anxiety. Does that feeling count as reading his thoughts? Can Poe feel his feelings?

“There’s your answer,” Leia says.

They stand without speaking for a moment. Poe and Leia make eye contact and a message passes between them through this, but Finn can’t decipher it.

“You should both get rest,” Leia says, “We’ll need to do reconnaissance tomorrow. We can investigate this further, later.”

They walk back down the hallway, side by side.

“So,” Finn says, “What now?”

Poe shrugs. “We’ll just… have it, I guess. Continue to have it.”

Finn sighs. “Yeah.” He’s exhausted, mentally and physically. Trudging through the woods for hours drained him, but after he held Poe’s hands in his, he feels even more tired. They stop in front of the halfway open sliding door to the cargo hold.

“I’m going to sleep,” Finn states, “It’s been a long day.”

“Yeah, it has. Get some rest, buddy.” Poe squeezes his shoulder for a second before leaving.

“You should sleep too,” Finn calls out after him.

Poe looks back for a moment and says he will. Finn slips through the door to the cargo hold and finds his bedding stacked on a shipping container. He lays it out and snuggles himself in. It’s not very comfortable to sleep on the floor, but it’s quieter than anywhere else on the ship. Fatigue takes his thoughts and worries away from him. He falls asleep.

///

Finn can’t remember his dreams when he wakes up. All he knows is that his friends were there; Poe, Rey, Rose, and the vague memory of a spherical form that must’ve been BB-8. Was it a nightmare, or simply a dream? Regardless, he’s disconcerted when he wakes up. Picking up his bedding from the floor, he folds the blankets and places them back on top of a metal container.

“Finn?” A voice calls from the hallway.

“Rey?” He asks. She slips in through the half open door.

“Did you sleep?” She asks. He nods.

“Good. We’re going on another walk in a while,” Rey says, “Let’s eat first.”

“Calling it a walk isn’t accurate,” He huffs, “it’s a trudge.” Finn’s spirit lifts when he hears her tired yet genuine laugh.

They walk towards the lounge, the sound of chatter flows through the hallway. He finds Poe and a couple other pilots at a table together. And, sitting beside them…

“Rose!” He cries out. She stands, smile brightening when she sees him. Finn wraps her in a hug.

“Finn, Finn, careful!’” She winces. He quickly loosens his hug around her.

“Sorry,” He responds, “I just- you’re awake!”

Rey puts her face in her hands. “I completely forgot to tell you. I don’t know why-”

“It’s okay,” Rose laughs brightly in response. Finn lets go and steps back to look at her. She’s smiling, but her face is drained of color and he notices a shiver run through her.

He looks her in the eye. “You still have to rest, you know.”

“I’m fine,” Rose huffs, “good as new.”

“When did you wake up?”

“About an hour ago,” A nurse close by chimes in. The space is crowded with Resistance members, everyone can hear their conversation. Instead of continuing to advocate for more rest, he steers her back to the table and sits down beside her.

“Sleep alright?” Poe asks. Finn nods, smiling. The pilots resume the conversation they were having before about requesting aid from more obscure planets and systems. Finn listens, looking back and forth between his three greatest friends. He can’t help but smile. They’re all safe, even after what they’ve been through.

When General Organa walks into the room, it immediately quiets.

“We will need six volunteers to continue to search the forest,” She states. Hands immediately rise, including Poe’s, Rey’s, his own, and Rose’s. Poe, Rey, and Finn are chosen, along with three other Resistance members he has yet to meet.

“Why didn’t she-” Rose says to Finn. With a look, he silenced her.

“You almost died, and you just woke up from a coma,” He says.

“You did plenty when you woke up. From what I recall, you tried to...” Rose trails off before sighing. “Fine.”

“There’s plenty of other work to be done,” Poe recommends, “Just ask the General, I’m sure she’s got something for you.”

“Alright,” Rose nods, once again determined. The Resistance finishes up their measly breakfast, and the members of the scouting party make their way to the console of the _Millenium Falcon_. General Organa splits them into three groups of two. Rey nods at Finn in reassurance when she's put with another Resistance fighter. Her partner is a tall, thin man with soft facial features and attentive brown eyes. He's partnered with Poe, who stands beside him smiling. Their shoulders brush against each other, Finn can sense that he’s satisfied with the groupings.

They mill around on the grass in the clearing, waiting for more instructions. Rey introduces herself to the stranger she’s going to explore with.

“Hey, I’ve got a question,” Poe says suddenly. Finn raises his eyebrows.

“Did you have a dream last night?” Poe asks.

Finn nods. “Well, yeah. I can’t remember much of it, though.”

“What _do_ you remember?”

“You and Rey were there. Rose too. And I think BB-8. Why?”

“I don’t know, I had a dream last night. It was really vivid, thought it might’ve been because of,” He points to himself and then to Finn. “This. but maybe not.”

“What happened in it?”

“Nothing, really. We were all in the forest, and…” He scratches his neck. “I don’t know. Can’t remember most of it.”

Finn doesn’t need to have a Force bond with Poe to know he’s not telling him the whole story. “Maybe it _was_ because of the bond.”

He squeezes his shoulder before stepping away a little. “Got your blaster?” Poe says.

“Yeah, you?” Finn replies. They double-check their weapons as they continue to await General Organa’s instructions.

“I’m not very excited to go back in there,” Poe says.

Finn raises his eyebrows. “You volunteered.”

“Your point?” Poe asks. Finn laughs. He likes seeing how Poe works when they’re not in a state of crisis.

They refocus when General Organa descends from the boarding ramp.

“Pairs,” She begins, “You will search in different directions out to about half of a mile and then return.” She hands out very old radio transceivers, one to each couple.

“Use these to contact each other, at least every half hour,” The General instructs. A chorus of “Yes, General!” rings out.

“How will we know how far we’ve gone?” Finn whispers to Poe. He holds up his wrist to show his watch.

“We can use this,” He says. Finn doesn’t ask how, there’s not enough time. The sooner they enter the forest, the faster they can return.

It’s more humid today. The moss he brushes past leaves droplets of water rolling off of his leather jacket, and sweat beads on his forehead, he wipes it away. Both focused on the task at hand, Finn and Poe don't talk unless to warn one another about especially dense patches of vines or roots jutting up from the ground.

Suddenly, he stops, directly in front of him, and Finn almost crashes into him.

“Do you see that?” Poe whispers. In the dim light Finn sees him pointing into the trees ahead. Light is reflected onto the leaves, the dapples of brightness moving. They slowly approach, breaking through the underbrush and stopping short of a precipitous drop. A pond bubbles in front of them, an island of blue in a sea of green. Finn covers his face with his forearm for a few seconds, adjusting to the bright light. They stare in wonder for a few moments once their eyes acclimate.

“I’d be stupid to jump in, right?” Poe asks.

“Yes, Poe, it would be."

“No, yeah, I knew that. Just double checking,” He replies. Finn laughs.

“It does look pretty refreshing,” Finn agrees. He sits down on the stone ledge, taking a closer look at the pool. Tiny golden fish flit through the water, reflecting more light into the tree branches above. Poe sits down next to him.

“It must be a spring,” Poe says. Finn hums in response. He finds his worries slipping away as he gazes into the pond. His hand finds Poe’s, he intertwines his fingers with the pilot’s. The connection isn’t as relentless as it was the night before, only a calming shiver runs up his arm. Poe holds his breath for a second before exhaling.

Finn rests his head on Poe’s shoulder. “This okay?” He asks.

“Yeah,” Poe murmurs. He doesn’t have to ask, Finn can tell. He does anyways.

“I’m glad,” Finn says. He squeezes Poe’s hand for a milisecond, sending a wave of familar energy through them.

“Me too, buddy,” Poe responds, “just don’t know how it could’ve happened, or even when.”

“Could’ve been forever,” Finn says, “maybe it’s always been like this.” They both fall silent, contemplating. Their thoughts slowly blend together, like yellow and blue mixing, until Finn can’t tell which are his and which aren't. His eyes flutter shut.

There’s something warm, in the center of it, soft and vulnerable. Something that can’t really be put into words, only alluded to by sounds and signs that never truly capture it. It’s a surprise, and yet somehow he already knew it.

“You too?” Poe asks, aloud.

_Yes, yes, yes_ and he doesn’t have to say it, because it’s gold in the muddle of consciousness shared between them, blinding, dazzling, brilliantly bright.

They’re the last of the Resistance, hiding in a tiny corner of space, on a little forested sphere, beside a tiny pool of water. They lean in to kiss, eyes still closed, and there’s never been a safer place in the galaxy.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. It's been a while since I've written finnpoe, it felt good to return to them.


End file.
